1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine, and more particularly, to a drum type washing machine in which wash water fed to a tub via a water supply pipe is directly supplied into a drum, so that laundry contained in the drum is wetted by the wash water more rapidly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a drum type washing machine is an appliance for washing laundry contained in a drum by utilizing wash water generated during a rotation of the drum. Such a drum type washing machine includes a housing defining the appearance of the washing machine, a tub fixedly mounted in the housing, and adapted to contain wash water therein, and a drum rotatably mounted in the tub.
A drive motor is installed at a side portion of the housing to rotate the drum. A plurality of through holes are perforated through the drum to allow the wash water in the tub to flow into the drum.
Arranged at an upper portion of the housing are a water supply valve to supply wash water into the tub, a detergent box connected to the water supply valve via a connecting hose, and a water supply pipe for connecting the tub and detergent box.
In a conventional drum-type washing machine, when the water supply valve is opened, wash water is fed to the detergent box via the connecting hose, and is then supplied into the tub via the water supply pipe, along with the detergent contained in the detergent box.
An access opening is formed at a front wall of the housing to allow laundry to be put into and taken out of the drum. A door is also mounted to the front wall of the housing around the access opening such that it is horizontally hingable to open and close the access opening.
When the user desires to wash laundry, using the washing machine having the above mentioned configuration, he puts the laundry into the drum, closes the door, and then opens the water supply valve. In the opened state of the water supply valve, wash water is supplied into the tub, along with detergent. When the drum rotates under this condition, the laundry is raised to the top of the drum and dropped to the bottom of the drum, along with the wash water, in a sequential and repeated manner. Thus, the laundry is washed with wash water generated in accordance with the above mentioned operation.
The water supply pipe, which connects the detergent box and tub, is typically connected to the top of the tub. Due to such a water supply arrangement, the wash water supplied into the tub typically flows downwardly along an outer surface of the drum to gradually fill the interior of the tub from the bottom of the tub.
Thus, wash water can flow into the drum through the through holes formed at the drum after passing through the connecting hose, detergent box, and water pipe in a sequential manner, in the opened state of the water valve, entering the tub to gradually fill the tub from the bottom of the tub, and then reaching a certain level in the water tub. The wash water introduced in the drum permeates the laundry contained in the drum.
In the conventional drum type washing machine having the above mentioned water supply arrangement, however, the permeation of wash water into laundry cannot be carried out, simultaneously with the initiation of the supply of wash water. That is, the wash water in the tub can only reach a desired level, at which it can flow into the drum to permeate the laundry contained in the drum, after a certain time has elapsed from the initiation of the supply of wash water. For this reason, the laundry cannot be wetted by the wash water rapidly, thereby lengthening the washing period.